Maidstone
Explore hidden histories, historic photos, and things you never knew about Maidstone from the collections and archives of Historic England.
Discover your local listed buildings and places
Introducing some of Maidstone's most historic sites, included in the National Heritage List for England. Some of these captions have been summarised by AI. Click through for the official List entry. Skip this section and go to place by numbers
Former Tilling-Stevens Factory
Maidstone
This former motor vehicle factory was built in 1917 by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners, in collaboration with Truscon, for Tilling-Stevens Ltd.
Mote Park
Boxley
A landscape park from the 18th and 19th centuries surrounds a country house near Maidstone, with historical ties to the Barons of Romney.
Former Rag Room at Springfield Mill
Maidstone
Rag Room of Springfield Mill. Built in 1806 for William Balston. Probably extended at the southern end in the late C19.
Leeds Castle
Broomfield and Kingswood
Leeds Castle, originally built in 1119, was modified and embellished over centuries, featuring notable landscapes and gardens designed by Russell Page and others until the 20th century.
Yalding Bridge
Yalding
Yalding Bridge is a medieval multi-span structure known for its exceptional length and preservation in Kent.
Barn at Boxley Abbey
Boxley
The Barn at Boxley Abbey is a late 13th or early 14th-century hospitium made of ragstone with unique window and door arrangements, reflecting its historical significance.
Church of St Nicholas
Boughton Malherbe
The Church of St Nicholas features 13th to 19th-century architecture, notable memorials to the Wotton family, and stained glass by Kempe.
Rootes Maidstone
Maidstone
Car showroom and workshops, 1938-39, by Howard and Souster. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Leeds Castle
Broomfield and Kingswood
Leeds Castle is an early 12th-century motte-and-bailey structure, significantly altered over the centuries, and historically owned by the de Crevecoeur family and later by royalty.
Corner House Lenham Greengrocers Rebecca's Antiques and F…
Lenham
Corner House in Lenham features 15th-century architecture with timber framing, late alterations, and notable historical elements like a crown-post and a Latin-inscribed iron door.
Church of All Saints
Staplehurst
The Church of All Saints in Staplehurst dates from the late 12th century with additions through the 15th century.
Maidstone Borough War Memorial
Maidstone
First World War memorial by Sir George James Frampton RA (1860-1928), with dates added for the Second World War and inscription remembering later conflicts, unveiled 21 June 1922.
Church of St Mary
Lenham
The Church of St. Mary is an architectural testament spanning the 12th to 15th centuries, notable for its medieval structures and Renaissance-inspired decor.
Forge House
Lenham
Forge House is a historic building dating back to the mid-15th century, notable for its timber framing and significant alterations through the 18th and 19th centuries.
Former Church of St Lawrence
Maidstone
A C19 rebuilding but preserving a medieval N doorway in the N face of the tower. Architects unidentified. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Church of St Luke
Maidstone
1896-7 by W H Seth-Smith. 1971-2 baptistry largely demolished and new foyer and church hall built. Parish lounge 1982. Read the official list entry to find out more.
The College of All Saints
Maidstone
The College of All Saints, forming connections with Canterbury's archbishops, impacted Maidstone's development. Founded in 1395, it was dissolved in 1546, leaving historical structures.
Beam from a beam engine set on a plinth at Springfield Mill
Maidstone
Beam engine beam. Beam of the steam engine installed by Boulton and Watt in 1806 to power Springfield Mill. De-commissioned in 1896-7 and erected on a plinth in the late C20.
Hush Heath Manor
Staplehurst
Hush Heath Manor is a Grade II* 17th-century timber-framed house known for its jettied architecture and restoration in the early 20th century.
The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment Cenotaph
Maidstone
First World War memorial of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment by Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, 1921, with later inscriptions. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Bell Farm House
Harrietsham
Bell Farm House, circa 1500, is a richly detailed Wealden farmhouse with distinctive timber framing and a historically significant, well-preserved smoke-blackened hall wall.
'The Cross': a hill-figure war memorial at Lenham
Lenham
War memorial comprising a hill-figure cross carved into the south facing slope of the North Downs and a separate stepped enclosure with fixed bench and memorial plaque.
Twyford Bridge in Yalding parish
Yalding
Twyford Bridge is a medieval multi-span bridge of national importance, preserving original features and construction methods, and providing insights into medieval and post-medieval history.
Former London and County Bank
Maidstone
Former bank, c1862, for the London and County Banking Company Ltd; converted to hosiers in the Edwardian period. Later alterations including removal of interior fittings on ground floor.
Ruins of Barbicans and Dam at Leeds Castle
Broomfield and Kingswood
Ruins of the barbicans and dam at Leeds Castle, partly in Leeds parish, date back to the early-to-mid 13th century and include two island barbicans and a dam.
Sunley House (Former Barclays Bank)
Maidstone
Former Barclays Bank, now mixed commercial use, 1956-60 with late C20 alterations, by Sir William Graham Holford (1907-1975). Read the official list entry to find out more.
The 'Gatehouse', Palace Gardens, Mill Street
Maidstone
An outbuilding of the archiepiscopal palace known as ‘The Gate House’, 81m NNW of All Saints’ Church.
East Farleigh Bridge, over the Medway
Barming
East Farleigh Bridge is a preserved medieval multi-span bridge built of Kentish ragstone, showcasing significant medieval design, and is among the finest in southern England.
Lock-up, Lenham
Lenham
The Lenham lock-up, originally an early 18th-century mortuary, features an arched doorway and triangular pediment, later serving as a village lock-up.
Pump Adjacent to No 30
Headcorn
Late-C19 painted iron water pump. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Church of St Peter and St Paul
Headcorn
The Church of St Peter and St Paul in Headcorn features elements from the 13th, late 14th, and 15th centuries.
Loose War Memorial
Loose
First World War memorial, 1922, with later additions. Read the official list entry to find out more.
The Forge Lodges
Maidstone
The Forge Lodges, including attached gate piers, are a pair of c1835 lodges to Mote Park, built in a rustic Greek revival style; they front a yard of subsidiary semi-agricultural estate...
Chimney at Springfield Mill
Maidstone
Mill chimney. Built in 1837 to replace an earlier chimney of c1809 on the same site. The connected main mill building is not included in the listing.
Yalding Memorial Cross
Yalding
First World War memorial, 1920, with later additions for the Second World War. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Monckton War Memorial in All Saints Churchyard
Maidstone
War memorial. Portland stone. 1918. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Church of St Michael and All Angels
Maidstone
Anglican church. Built in 1875 to 1876 to the design of the architect (Sir) Arthur Blomfield by the contractors Messrs George Naylor of Rochester in Early English and Decorated Gothic style.
Hollingbourne War Memorial
Hollingbourne
War memorial. Erected 1922 with later additions. Read the official list entry to find out more.
Explore more
Search for more listed placesMaidstone through time
This timeline shows the first period of use for buildings and places on the National Heritage List for England, just one of the details recorded for every list entry. Click around to see how Maidstone changes over time. Skip this section and go to aerial photos
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion, from hunter-gatherers of several human species, including Neanderthals, to more recent herders and farmers. It was a time of developing technologies and belief systems, involving contact with and migration from Europe, all reflected in the variety of artefact and monument types characteristic of particular prehistoric periods.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion, from hunter-gatherers of several human species, including Neanderthals, to more recent herders and farmers. It was a time of developing technologies and belief systems, involving contact with and migration from Europe, all reflected in the variety of artefact and monument types characteristic of particular prehistoric periods.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Aerial photos of Maidstone
Aerial photography helps reveal secrets of England's changing landscapes that are impossible to see from the ground. Skip this section and go to archive images

Broomfield
Leeds Castle, Broomfield, 1923

Broomfield
Leeds Castle, Broomfield, 1948

Frinsted
Kippen House, Frinsted, 1948

Frinsted
Kippen House, Frinsted, 1948

Lenham
St Mary's Church and the village, Lenham, 1929

Lenham
St Mary's Church and The Square, Lenham, 1932

Wormshill
The Street and the Old Rectory, Wormshill, 1948

Wormshill
The Old Rectory, Wormshill, 1948

Maidstone
Broadway and environs, Maidstone, 1920

Maidstone
The St Peter's Street Gas Works and environs, Maidstone, 1949
Maidstone in the Historic England Archive
The Historic England Archive cares for over 15 million images, dating from the 1850s to the present day. Discover stunning images of Maidstone's past. Skip this section and go to stories about heritage
Charles George Harper Collection
Broomfield, Maidstone, Kent
Date created: 1892 - 1933
Leeds Castle, seen from the north-west
Eric de Mare
Kent
Date created: 1956
The three square kilns on an oast-house, possibly Eastlea Oast in Bull Lane, Boughton under Blean
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
Kent
Date created: 1955 - 1965
A general view of a farmer driving a tractor towards the camera between lines of blossoming fruit trees in an orchard.
John Gay Collection: Miscellaneous
Kent
Date created: 1946 - 1959
View within a car showing a dog, probably called Baker White sitting in the drivers seat
John Gay Collection: Counties
Maidstone, Kent
Date created: 1964 - 1973
View across the River Medway to Parsonage Oasts, an oast house with four pyramidal roofs, converted to a house, with a man and woman fishing in the...
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
Maidstone, Kent
Date created: 1900 - 1920
GENERAL EXTERIOR VIEW
Charles George Harper Collection
Kent
Date created: 1892 - 1933
An unidentified barn and oast house, probably in Kent
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
Kent
Date created: 1955 - 1965
A general view of a farmer driving a tractor through the lines of blossoming fruit trees in an orchard.
John Gay Collection: Miscellaneous
Kent
Date created: 1946 - 1959
View within a car showing a dog, probably called Baker White sitting in the drivers seat
John Gay Collection: Counties
Maidstone, Kent
Date created: 1964 - 1973
View across the River Medway to Parsonage Oasts, an oast house with four pyramidal roofs, converted to a house
Alfred Newton and Sons
Kent
Date created: 1896 - 1920
GENERAL VIEW SHOWING MAN RIDING A DONKEY ALONG UNIDENTIFIED COUNTRY LANE. PROBABLY IN WESTBERE, KINGSDOWN, WEST PECKHAM OR PATRIXBOURNE.
Stories about heritage in your local area
Historic England publishes news, blogs, research, videos, and podcasts celebrating England's rich heritage. Discover the stories we have about Maidstone. Skip this section and go to education
Where to Find Egyptian Style Architecture in England
Mentions Former East Farleigh Waterworks
‘Egyptomania’ was the height of fashion in Regency England. Here are some of the places you can see its impact.
Heritage at Risk: In Progress
Mentions St Andrew's Chapel
Founded in 1998, the Heritage at Risk register is the annual snapshot of the health of England’s historic places.
Heritage and Craft Workers Across England Given a Helping Hand
Mentions Maidstone
142 historic sites across England are receiving grants worth £35 million through the government’s Culture Recovery Fund.
More Than 2,500 Poignant War Memorials Listed During Four Year Project to Commemorate First World War Centenary
Mentions 'The Cross': a hill-figure war memorial at Lenham
Through the First World War Memorials programme, 2,645 First World War memorials have been listed, more than doubling the amount previously listed.
War Memorials to Airmen Listed to Mark Centenary of the Royal Air Force
Mentions Maidstone
To mark the centenary of the RAF, 14 war memorials to airmen are being listed or upgraded by DCMS on the advice of Historic England.
National Collection of Lutyens’ War Memorials Listed
Mentions The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment Cenotaph, Maidstone
All 44 First World War memorials designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens are now protected by listing.
Maidstone's social history through photos
Over 10,000 images from the Historic England Archive have been specially selected and re-captioned for teachers, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about their local area. Skip this section and go to grant-aided places
Working with hop bines
Period: 1970s (1970 - 1979)
Unloading hop bines under a metal canopy in Kent.
Working with hop bines
Working with hop bines
Period: 1970s (1970 - 1979)
Unloading hop bines under a metal canopy in Kent.
Working with hop bines
Wardes, Otham, Kent
Period: Medieval (Middle Ages) (1066 - 1484)
A view showing the front facade.
Wardes, Otham, Kent
Upper Crisbrook Mill, Cave Hill, Maidstone, Kent
Period: Georgian (1714 - 1836)
Crisbrook water mills stand on the Loose Stream. The stream comes off the River Medway and had a large number of watermills along its short length.
Upper Crisbrook Mill, Cave Hill, Maidstone, Kent
Timber framed houses, Kent
Period: Medieval (Middle Ages) (1066 - 1484)
Two timber framed houses, one with casement windows and mullioned windows with round-headed lights.
Timber framed houses, Kent
The Malt House, Boughton Monchelsea, Kent
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
Malt houses were used for drying grain on floors to produce malt for brewing. This one has a warehouse built in where the malt would have been stored.
The Malt House, Boughton Monchelsea, Kent
Synyards, Otham, Kent
Period: Tudor (1485 - 1602)
A view from the north west.
Synyards, Otham, Kent
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Synyards, Otham, Kent
Period: Tudor (1485 - 1602)
Synards is a Grade I-listed house that originally dates from the late 15th century.